Boot-upper-shaping machine.



P. BEIER.

BOOT UPPER SHAPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16. 1912 1,055, 1 23. Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l WTA/[SSES Awavrma P. BEIER.

BOOT UPPER SHAPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 1912.

1,055,123, Patented Mar.4, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. BEIER.

BOOT UPPER SHAPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 1012.

1,055,123. Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

Fig. 3.

mam-5m.

P. BEIER.

BOOT UPPER SHAPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

, 8 Fig. 6.

P. BEIER.

BOOT UPPER SHAPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED APR.16, 1912.

1,055,123, Patented Mar.4, 1913.

6 SHEETSBHEBT 5.

Fig. 7.

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' 7 'fmm/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEa' PAUL BEIER, OFRODELHEIM-FRANKFORT, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY,OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4:, 1913.v

Application filed April 16, 1912. Serial No. 691,123.

To all whom 2'2. may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL BEIER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at Rodelheim-Frankfort, Germany, have invented certainImprovements in Boot- Upper-Shaping Machines, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating likeparts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture of bootsand shoes and is herein shown as embodied in a boot upper shaping ormolding machine.

Much difficulty has been experienced in the present methods of bootmanufacture, which have superseded the old hand work, in making the bootupper fit the foot around the heel and particularly just above the ballof the heel, or as it is sometimes called at the neck of the foot. Theobjectionable feature in many faultily made boots is that they do nothug the heel sufficiently to prevent slipping up and down on the foot asthe wearer walks. This difficulty is very largely avoided in shoes bydividing the vamp down the back of the heel and cutting out the parts atthe meeting edges to give an incurve just above the heel by which theshoe is made to fit the neck of the foot and therefore hug the heel sothat it does not slip up and down as the wearer walks. In boots made ofheavy material such a back seam is very objectionable and it is theobject of this invention to provide a method and a mechanism forobtaining a properly shaped boot upper without cutting and seaming. Thisresult is obtained by manipulating the upper leather to displace it fromplaces where there is fullness and, by

working the leather toward and intoplaces where it is needed and can besecured permanently, to establish the upper in its reshaped condition.As an incident to this manipulation other portions -of the upper thanthe heel part are reshaped, 1particularly over the instep and in theshan and their adaptation to the foot of the wearer is improved. Thesteps of this method and also the mechanism herein shown for practisingit form features of this invention which it is the present purpose toprotect.

As is well known, it is customaryto provide boots and shoes with heelstiffeners.

It is contemplated that a straight or unmolded heel stiffener shall beapplied to the boot upper prior to the shaping of the upper and that theupper and the heel stifiener shall be shaped or molded together, therebyproviding an identity of shape for both the upper and the stiffenerwhich will enable each to assist in maintaining the form of the otherduring wear of the boot. Prior to being treated, the upper and the heelstifiener extend in a substantially straight line at the back. In theshaping process the entire heel part is made to assume the samecurvature as the heel part of the forms, which correspond with that ofthe last upon which the boot is subsequently assembled. This shapingoperation includes, as one of its most essential features, the formationat the upper portion of the stiffener at the back and extending partlyalong the sides of the heel of a ridge projected inwardly to fit intoand around the neck of the foot and cause the boot to hug the heel ofthe wearer firmly so that the heel does not lift away from the boot solewhile walking. In addition to the formation of this ridge it ispreferred that the entire heel portion of the upper and stiffener shallbe molded between inside and outside formers, and moveover that theflange of the upper and stiffener shall be molded over upon the heelseat between the inside former and devices which are similar to the heellasting plates of a bed lasting machine. The action of the ridge formingand lateral shaping members,

e., the described inside and outside formers, appears to be to displacethe upper of the heel portion of the boot downwardly and backwardly asindicated by the contrasting views in the drawings, so that while theupper is displaced inwardly around the neck it is bulged outwardlyaround the ball of the heel whereby a pocket or seat is formed for thelarge part of the heel of the wearers foot. shaping members appears toeffect a backward displacement of the entire flange or edge portion ofthe boot upper, including also the whole forepart of the upper from theinstep to the toe, with relation to the leg portion of the boot.Preferabl the inside and outside formers are first rought together by arelative movement lengthwise of the boot foot to initially form theridge. It is during this initial ridge forming that the describeddisplacement appears mainly to Also this action of the said i heel seatforming plates are brought forward over the rear end of the heel seatand then 5.- down to the heel clamps which are shown closed over thesides of the heel seat with an inward sweep to draw the upper inwardlyfrom the end and sides of the heel and complete the formation of thepocket for the heel of the wearers foot. The displacement of the upperby these manipulations appears to be important, particularly in itseffect upon the shank and instep portion of the upper, in shaping thefoot portion of the boot upper so that 'it will fit closely tov andaround the wearers foot.

It will be noted from the drawings that the ridge is located low downwhere it will engage the top incline of the heel, being at or slightlybelow the narrowest part of the instep so that the foot may slideobliquely into the boot and then the heel settle backward into itspocket. No attempt is made to exhaust the stretch from the leather whichforms the rid e, as by pulling or tensioning it toward t he toe, but itis left elastic to stretch and then react as the heel is forced past itin putting the boot on the foot or taking it ofi. The boot shapingoperation .is essentially a pressing operation in which the upperleather, with the heel stilfener, is displaced in directions and intopositions determined by the shape of the formers and then isclamped andfinally gathered inwardly and compressed over the heel seat in its newposition and held under pressure for .aperiod long enough to permit theacquired shape to become permanent. Thereafter the formers are separatedand the boot upper withdrawn ready to be assembled with an insole upon alast over which the forepart will be lasted and tacked to the insole,the heel part being already completely lasted and ready to be tacked.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the accompanymgdrawings and then pointed out definitely in the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine referred to, parts beingshown in section in the upper portion of the machine; Fig. 2 is a planView, disclosing the duplex construction of the machine, one side beingstripped open and the other side showing the seat shapers closed over aboot upper; Fig. 3 is a front elevation, some parts being broken awayand others shown in section to amplify the disclosure; Fig. 4 shows infull and dotted lines contrasting views of a boot upper before and aftertreatment in accordance with this invention "and by the machine shown inthe earlier figures; Figs. 5 and 6 are plan and sectional views of theshaping devices; Figs. 7 to 11 show other views of the same in differentpositions.

The driving shaft 10, Figs. 1 and 3, carries a loose pulley 9 which canbe made to engage a fast clutch member 11 on the shaft by foot pressurethrough a treadle mecha-' nism 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 acting against areturn spring 24. The shaft 10 carries at its left hand end, Fig. 3, apinion 12 through which and a pinion 13, an intermediate shaft 14, andpinions 15, 16, it drives a cam shaft 17. This shaft carries a cam 27thrfugh which the machine may be maintreadle downand maintain themachine in motion until its half cycle is completed when the secondrecess in cam 27 reaches roll 28 whereupon the pull of spring 24 canlift the treadle to' draw the loose pulley away from clutch member 11and discontinue the running of the machine. The roll 28 is connected tothe lever 30 through a carrier 31 which, if desired, can be loosened andmoved to position the roll out of the pat-h of the cam 27 so that themachine will be wholly under control of the operator through the treadlel8 and can be stopped at any point in its cycle. The shaft 10 carries ahub 26 upon which a usual brake 25 is caused to engage by the spring 24when the treadle rises. The shaft 17 carries a cam 37, Figs. 1 and 3, inwhich engages a roll 36 on a roll carrier 35, Fig. 1, which acts throughan upright link 34 upon toggle arms 8, 8, Figs. 1 and 2. The rear end ofthe toggle abuts by rod 33 and cross head against a heavy spring 49. Thefront end of the toggle is connected to a slide 3 which moves over thetop of the frame.

5 -The inside former 2 corresponds in shape with the rear portion of alast and is mount- "ed exchangeably upon the frame as shown in and clampthe rear end of the boot upper,

and heel stiffener, against the rear end of the inside former 2, as inFigs. 8 and 9.

Between the body portion of the inside former and an extension 59thereof is formed a crease to receive the ridge of the upper that is tofit into and around the neck of the foot just above the ball of theheel. The outside formers 4: have a corresponding formation (the gapbetween said jaws when they are open being bridged by a leather lining 7to bend the upper into said crease and clamp it under molding pressureto form the ridge C, Fig. 4.

After the rear end of the boot upper has been clamped and ridged as justdescribed the outside formers 4: are swung inwardly from position Fig. 9to position Fig. 10 being guided over the slide 3 by rolls 39, Fig. 2,on the front link 8 and actuated by links 40 and a slide 41. A link 46,between the rear end of which and the slide 41 are rubber cushions 50,extends forwardly from the slide to the upright arm of a bell crank 45which is fulcrumed in the frame and has a rearwardly projecting arm fromwhich depends a leg 54 that straddles the shaft 17, Figs. 1 and3, andhas a roll 53 positioned in the side groove of a cam 52, Fig. 3. Fromthis cam the outside formers are closed to wrap the upper around theinside former and hold it under molding pressure.

The extension 59 of the inside former projects backwardly as shown inFig. 6 to modify substantially the initial position of the boot upper inthe machine. The extension holds the upper up to some extent and to agreater extent it holds the leg backward away from the rear end face offormer 2. The effect is to cause the upper to draw down from its edge toprovide the stock for forming the ridge. The shape of the former 2having the extension 59 also causes the upper to draw backward from theforepart and the instep as may be seen from Fig. 4 to produce the pocketbelow ridge C for the heel when the boot is on the wearers foot and theenlargement of the space in the boot leg above the ridge to receive theheel while the foot is being thrust obliquely into the forepart of theboot.

There is a tendency for the forepart of the upper of the boot to belifted when the outside formers are thrust against the rear end of theupper to form the ridge. Such a lift ing might, if unrestrained, cause adistortion of the foot portion of the upper, including an objectionablefullness and puckering of the margin of the upper in the shank. A stop6, Fig. 6, is pivoted near its rear end in the lower face of insideformer 2 and hangs down by gravity to a position determined by anadjustable nut on the upper end of a rpd 61. This provides a gage forassisting a workman to position boot uppers properly and uniformly onthe inside former andit then acts to resist free lifting of the forepartof the upper until, in the formation of the ridge, the upward strainstending to lift the upper, as in dotted lines, Fig. 4,

terials and is unattached to the upper, as is a usual practice, thefirst clamping of the stock by the projecting and the recessed portionsof the formers 2 and 4, which occurs near that edge of the stiffenerwhich is to be uppermost in the finished shoe, tends to raise the endport-ions of the stiffener. These ends are free to rise because they arenot held down as is the forepart of the vamp by the stop 6, and inpractice they will be more or less raised and then will be wrappedaround the sides of the heel in this relatively raised position wherebythe edge of the stiffener that is uppermost in the completed shoe willhug the ball of the heel snugly from the rear around the sides and downto the shank. The result. secured by this procedure renders unnecessarythe usual lasters operation of pulling up the ends of the heel stiffenerbefore overwiping, and may be secured by the use of this feature of theinvention in bed types of lasting machines. Herein the seat formers 5,which will be described, break the marginal portion of the stiffener andthe upper over the edge of the inside former and mold them down upon thetop face of that former so that the ends of the stiffener will not againsag down after the upper is removed from the machine. It is noteworthythat the Hanging of the upper and of the stiffener after thedisplacements which accompany the conformation to the end and side facesof the inside former, including the formation of the ridge R, aidsgreatly in fixing the upper and stiffener permanently in the boot shapeand establishes a definite relation between the ridge R and the edgeline of the boot bottom. Upper materials which have not been preparedfor lasting as herein described are usually assembled according to thejudgment of the workman high or low on the heel so that there is notuniformity in the heel space in the boot or shoe.

\Vith the upper displaced from its original form and shape as abovesuggested, the outside formers swing to ether and wrap the boot upper inits new form about the inside former where it is allowed to set untilits new shapebeco-mes permanent. This permanency of form is made moresure and secure by the action of the heel seat formers 5, 5 while theupper is so held. These seat formers are advanced from the positionshown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 9 and then pause While theoutsideformers close after which their'advance is completed and thenthey are closed to gather the margin of the upper inwardly over and molditinto I 3. The seat formers 5 and their carriers 43' slide under a capplate 42 which is acted upon bystifi springs 51 that press the wipersclose to the plane of the top face of inside former 2 and compel theseat formers to wipe frictionally over and press heavily down upon theupper flange to draw and mold it into lasted shape.

The bootupper with its heel stifiener remains on the shaping forms andunder molding pressure while another one is being prepared and applied,or throughout such v period as may be required to give perma-' nency ofshape to it, and then the machine is restarted to release the shaped.boot upper and heel stiffener with its heel portion in lasted form andto put another one into similar condition .by the operation of theduplex parts on the other half of the ma- I chine.

. been adequately described to enable the intion Ser.

The manipulation of the upper and the mode-of operatlon of the mechanismhave vention to, be understood, although that portion of the inventionwhich relates to improvements in methods of making boots is not to beherein claimed-but has been made the subject-matter of adivisionalapplica- No. 730,000, filed Nov. 7, 1912, and

Inow claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United StatesY 1. A boot upper shaping machine-having, in combination, an insideformer, outside formers, and relative projections and recesses on theoutside formers and the inside former respectively to produce aninwardly extending ridge in the heel portion of the upper adapted toengage over the ball of the boot wearers heel. I 2. A boot upper shapingmachine having, in combination, inside and outside formers, said insidemember being provided with a recess or depressionin its rear end face10- cated at the top of the ball of the heel and extending around to thesides of the heel in decreasing depth and said outside member beingprovided with a correspondingly shaped and located projection to producean inwardly extending ridge in the boot upper adapted to restrain theboot from slipping up and down at the heel. 3. A boot upper shapingmachine having, in combination, an inside former adapted -to receive aboot upper and having a recess or depression in its rearend face and anextension 59 downwardly and backwardly ing rearwardly and downwardlyfrom said recess, outside forming means having. a projectioncorresponding to said recess, and means for actuating said formingdevices to mold an inwardly projecting ridge into the rear portion ofthe boot upper adapted to prevent the boot from slipping up and down atthe heel.

4. A boot upper shaping machine having, in combination, inside andoutside formers shaped to produce in the heel end of a boot upper aridge rojecting inwardly to hold the boot from s ipping up and down atthe heel, said machine having provision, for

that the stock for so holding the boot upper be mainly drawn forming theridge shall down from the foot portion of the upperas distinguished frombeing drawn up irom the leg portion of the boot.

5. A boot upper shaping machine having,

in combination, an inside heel former and outside heel formers, theinside former having a work supporting projection extendbelow and beyondthe acting face of the outside formers when said formers are closed uponthe boot upper, and means for actuating said formers relatively to dotheir Work,

substantially as described.

6. A boot upper shaping machine having, in combination, an insideformer, outside formers, relative projections and recesses on theoutside formers and the inside former respectively to produce aninwardly extending ridge in and means for positioning the forepart ofthe boot upper vertically while the ridge is being formed. a

7 A boot upper shaping machine having, in combination, an inside former,outside formers, relative projections and recesses on the outsideformers and the inside former the heel portion of the upper,

respectively to produce an inwardly extending-ridge in the heel portionof the upper,

and means for yieldingly resisting the tendency for the forepart oftheboot upper to be drawn upward by the strains setup in the upper whilethe ridge is being formed.

8. A boot upper shaping machine having, in combination, an insideformer, outside formers, relative projections and recesses on theoutside formers and the inside former respectively to produce aninwardly extending ridge in the heel porti on oft-he upper,

and the swinging stop 6 adjust-ably sustained in position to locate theforepart of the boot'upper at the beginning of the boot shapingoperation and to yield to forepart of the upper to be drawn upwardly andbackwardly as the shaping proceeds.

9. A boot upper shaping machine having, 1n combination, an ltisldeformer, outside formers, relative pro ections and recesses on p theoutside formers and the inside former respectively to produce aninwardly extend ing ridge in the heel portiomof the upper,

allow the and means for imparting relative movement to said formers toproduce the ridge first in the rear end of the upper and then to closethe outside formers around the inside former to wrap the upper about thelatter and extend the ridge along each side of the heel.

10. A boot upper shaping machine having, in combination, an insideformer, outside formers, relative projections and recesses on theoutside formers and the inside former respectively to produce aninwardly extending ridge in the heel ortic-n of the upper, and means forrelatively actuating said formers to produce the ridge by bending theupper into the recess first at the back end of the boot and then at thesides of the heel.

11.. Aboot upper shaping machine having, in combination, an insideformer, means for supporting it exchangeably and with free space belowand back of it to receive a boot upper, outside formers located in therear of the inside former, said formers having a projection and acooperating recess to form a ridge in the upper for preventing the bootfrom slipping up and down on the heel of the wearers foot, andmechanisms for advancing the outside formers to clamp the boot upperagainst the inside former first at the rear end of the heel and then toclose said formers to mold the upper around the sides of the heel.

12. A boot upper shaping machine having, in combination, theexchangeably supported inside former 2, about the sides and lower andrear faces of which is free space for the application of a boot upper tosaid former, the outside formers 4, 4, a slide on which said outsideformers are advanced against the upper on the rear face of the insideformer, and means for swinging, the outside formers to fold the upperaround the inside former.

13. A boot upper shaping machine having, in combination, an insideformer adapted to receive in inverted position a boot up per with a heelstiffener, outside formers, means for relatively actuating the insideand outside formers to clamp the work first near the lower edge of thestiffener and thereby tend to raise the free front ends of the stiffenerand for thereafter closing the outside formers to mold the upper andstiffener around the sides of the heel with the stifiener ends raised.

14. A machine of the class described hav ing, in combination, a heelshaped form to receive in inverted position an upper and a heelstiffener, means for initially pressing said materials toward andagainst the back end of the form at the lower edge of the stifiener tocause the free front ends of the stiffener to tip up, and then wrappingthe upper and stiffener about the sides of the heel with the stiffenerends upraised.

15. A boot upper shapin machine having, in combination, an inside ormeradapted to receive an inverted upper, outside formers, said formersbeing shaped to grip the upper first at the lower edge of the heelstiffener, means for advancing the outside formers to clamp the upperagainst the rear end face of the inside former, other means to close theoutside formers to wrap the upper about the sides of the heel, heel seatformers, and means to advance and close them.

16. A boot upper shaping machine having, in combination, an insideformer, outside formers, means for actuating said formers to mold theheel portion of the upper about the end and side faces of the insideformer, heel seat formers, and guiding means that holds the seat formersunder yielding pressure in a plane close to that of the bottom face ofthe inside former and is made to yield as the seat formers ride over thework in shaping the flange of the upper.

1.7. In a machine of the class described, end embracing plates adaptedto lay an upper over the end portion of a shoe form with a wipingmovement, a cover plate under which the end embracing plates advance todo their work, and means confining said cover plate in place includingsprings against which it is permitted to yield as the end embracingplates ride over the upper.

18. In a machine of the class described, heel end embracing means formedto engage the upper first at or about the location of the lower edge ofthe heel stiffener and tip the stiffener ends up relatively to the planeof the shoe bottom, and means for breaking the flange of the upper andstiffener inwardly to form the edge line of the lfieil1 seat while thestiffener and upper are s 19. A machine of the class describedhaving, incombination, an inside heel former having a rear end face extendingbelow and rearwardly from the ball of the heel, outside forming meansshaped to press the upper into the depression so made between the balland said rearward extension and then to wrap the upper about the sidesof the former, and heel seat formers to lay the flange over upon thebottom face of the inside former while the upper is so held.

20. A machine of the class described having, in combination, inside andoutside formers to shape the side and end faces of an upper, heel seatformers pivoted to turn about a center that lies outslde their operativeedges and persenting, when open, a V- shaped notch at their meetingedges, and

means for actuating said notched seat forming, in combination, insideand outside formers to shape the sides and end faces of an upper, heelseat formers and operating means arranged to advance the seat formersover the heel seat first at the back of the heel and thereafter to closethe formerslaterally over the sides of the heel seat.

22. A machine of the class described having, in combination, an insideformer, means for supporting the former in inverted position and so asto prevent an unobstructed space below and on all sides of the shank andrearpart of the former for the reception of a boot upper,-outsideformers to em brace and mold the end and sides of the toward the rearend of the heel of an in verted last first at the lower edge of the heel'stifiener and then at the upper edge of the stiffener, and thenpressing the ends of the stifiener against the sides of the last, andmeans arranged for operation thereafter and while the several parts ofthe stifiener are maintained in the position to which they have been sopressed for forming the margin of the upper materials over the bottomof. the last.

24. A machine of the class described having, incombination, an insideformer forthe heel part of an upper and means for forcing the uppermaterials from the rear end of the boot forwardly and upwardly towardand into the shank to provide the fullness required for laying over theinnersole along the incurve of the shank.

25. A machine of the class described having, in combination, an insideformer for the heel part of an upper and-means operating by externalpressure on the upper to force the upper materials and the ends of theheel stiffener forwardly and upwardly along the sides of the heel towardthe shank to provide the fullness required for laying the margin overthe innersole along the incurves of the shank, and means for renderingpermanent the formation of the upper materials thus secured.

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name to this specification in thepresencof two subscribing witnesses.

' I PAUL BEIER.

Witnesses:

WALLACE ELLISON, JEAN GRUND.

